Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

When I was young and still passably cute, my brother and I used to visit the fish ponds in my hometown and pretend to have an adventure.

Then one day, an angry old man chased after us with a big stick and dashed our innocent hopes and dreams.

For some reason, he only got angrier when I pointed out that Theodore Roosevelt says he should speak softly.

Fortunately for you, the following escapades won't get you chased by some old dude who's ticked off because you're on his property.

TITANFALL: DOMO ARIGATO, MR. ROBOTO

CLOSE

Reporter and hopeless geek Jason Hidalgo transforms and rolls out in a giant robot as he reviews Titanfall for the Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC.

You can never go wrong with adding robots to make something cooler. What would make vehicles better? Make them transform into robots and roll out. Want to freshen up the kaiju genre? Add robots. I'm sure Guillermo del Toro would agree.

So, with the first-person shooting genre getting a bit long in the tooth in recent years, the original folks behind the "Call of Duty" franchise decided to add one key element to their inaugural game as a new studio. Yep, robots. Big, hulking robots. Add extra speed, some nice hang time and wall running and you've got Respawn Entertainment's "Titanfall" for Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC.

The game tries to allay the fears of newcomers and gamers who are not quite used to shooters by adding a comprehensive tutorial and gameplay elements to help ease the transition. These include the addition of AI grunts that aren't quite as lethal as human players. Tools like the Smart Pistol also help with aim, particularly against AI grunts, but are still balanced enough to prevent abuse against humans.

Good players still will dominate, especially against other humans, but there are enough AI characters around to make the average or less-than-average Joe feel like he's contributing to the cause.

The added verticality and wall running, for example, improves on the mostly lateral play of shooters while the robots add a larger sense of scale.

The only bummer is the lack of an offline campaign or story mode. Otherwise, Titanfall adds much needed freshness to the first-person shooter genre.

Cost: $60; XB1, X360, PC

www.titanfall.com.

DARK SOULS 2: DEATH IS ONLY THE BEGINNING

The Marquis de Sade was one sick puppy.

And, if the man were reincarnated today, I could definitely see him having a blast watching some poor creature play "Dark Souls 2" while Depeche Mode's "Strangelove" plays in the background.

The latest in a series known for concocting all sorts of devious ways for players to meet their doom, "Dark Souls 2" returns to the fray with something old, something new and something blue. The blue stuff, by the way, would be your face after seeing your character die for the umpteenth time.

Once again, you play the role of a cursed warrior halfway between life and death. While you start the game pretty much looking alive, death will turn your avatar into the human equivalent of beef jerky. This comes with some consequences including lowering your max health by as much as half unless you have a certain item.

Even with its initial hints, the game doesn't really offer a lot of handholding. The open world and its inhabitants — and even some invading players — also are merciless and unforgiving making death a common occurrence. It even has an in-game monument to the number of player deaths worldwide. In some cases, the causes of death can feel cheap, especially the bottomless pits in dark places. For the most part, though, it is a game that teaches the importance of memorization, patience and paying attention.

Folks who don't like large open adventures and brutal difficulty should stay away. Gamers who like a challenge, however, will find themselves coming back for more.

Cost: $50-60; PC, PS3, X360

www.darksoulsii.com/us

BABY, BABY OH: YOSHI'S NEW ISLAND

Yoshi and his pals return to save baby Mario and baby Luigi in “Yoshi’s New Island” for the Nintendo 3DS.(Photo: Nintendo)

With great expectations come great responsibility.

Given Nintendo's pedigree when it comes to platformers, it wouldn't be a stretch to expect some of the Big N's magic to be present in "Yoshi's New Island" for the 3DS.

The game certainly starts out promising enough. It features a unique art style that emphasizes the series' cuteness, thanks to a look that seems to combine crayon and paper mache in a pastel style. It also looks nice in 3D.

The platforming itself features some familiar elements, including searchable items such as coins and flowers, for example, as well as secret rooms. New additions such as a giant egg that destroys obstacles and even metal eggs add a twist to the gameplay itself. Boss fights, meanwhile, continue to anchor the various worlds.

Although the platforming can be described as solid, it isn't quite as engaging as "New Super Mario Bros." or the recent "Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze." Although the latter constantly kept grabbing my attention, for example, I found myself going through the motions at times with Yoshi's New Island. I also wish the lower touchscreen was used better in order to improve the gameplay.

Overall, I wouldn't call "Yoshi's New Island" a bad game. It's more kid-friendly, for example, than the crazy hard "Tropical Freeze." It's just that Nintendo's set the bar so high for its platformers that anything less than stellar falls a bit short.